Brisbane coach Kevin Walters has a big decision to make about whether he gives impressive hooker Blake Mozer another crack and plays all of his State of Origin stars in next week's away clash with Newcastle.
A loss on Saturday night to the Knights will all but end the Broncos' finals hopes. They are already forlorn after Brisbane's 30-26 home loss to St George Illawarra, their sixth consecutive defeat.
The Broncos are four points outside the top eight on 18 points and must win six of their last seven matches to play finals.
The representative quartet of Selwyn Cobbo, Reece Walsh, Payne Haas and Patrick Carrigan, who did not play against the Dragons, could be required to back up in Newcastle three days after the Origin decider in Brisbane on Wednesday night.
Walters elected not to play his game-two Origin representatives in a Saturday afternoon loss to the Warriors in Auckland. That would have required an international flight to another time zone, and he erred on the side of caution.
Now the club's season is on the line but Walters said he would not make a decision until Thursday about their availability.
"I will just see how the game goes on Wednesday night and then we will make a science decision based on facts and numbers ... and we will talk to the players," Walters said.
"They will obviously all want to play but there is no good them playing, getting injured and then being gone for the year."
Mozer, 20, came off the bench against the Dragons with the Broncos trailing 28-6 and played 31 quality minutes where he made two line breaks, scored a shrewd try from dummy half and showcased a silky passing game.
Walters agreed Mozer impressed in just his third NRL match and was asked if he would give him more regular game time.
"We will look at that," he said.
"Blake is just one player. We have got to sort the team out. That was pleasing for him and I am very happy for him because he has been waiting for an opportunity and he grabbed it really well ... so well done to him.
"We don't have anyone to change. The boys have got to get through an Origin yet but there is no-one coming back next week that wasn't here this week."
Walters said he had not given up hope of reaching the play-offs.
"I believe we can do that, but it is about these fellas. Things have got to change for that to happen. If we keep doing what we are doing we are no chance of it happening," he said.
"If we change our mentality and habits with our skill level there will be a big shift, but it has been that way for a long time."
Three Broncos errors led to three Dragons tries. On top of that they were regularly penalised for being offside and let the Dragons march up field.
"We scored 26 points and that is enough to win a game. Errors and defence let us down," Walters said.
